Behind a Case of Ice
by Crayola Hearts
Summary: A simple mission to retrieve a painting turns into an all out war with their hearts. 'A Little Taste of Innocence' rewrite.
1. This Could Count as Trespassing

_**Author's Note: So. Since I lost my planning sheets for 'A Little Taste of Innocence' and I wasn't particularly fond of the way it turned out, despite what most reviewers said, I've decided to rewrite the fanfiction. **_

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_Chapter 1: This Could Count as Trespassing_

Thick steam swirled around the inside of the shower as the blonde mage worked her strawberry scented shampoo though her medium-long hair. Warm water ran over her smooth skin, feeling like heaven after her long day. She had taken up a small job, one that she was able to complete on her own, though she had been drug through the mud a few times, but none the less, she was in a good mood. Humming lightly, the mage tilted her head back, letting the water rinse the soap from her locks.

Once the water was running clear, she leveled her head and turned the nod, cutting off the steady stream of water. Stepping out of the bath, the blonde wrapped herself in a fluffy pink towel. When she opened the bathroom door, stinging. cold air wasn't the only thing waiting for her, Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Erza were spread through out her room, going through various things that, frankly, they wished they hadn't.

"Th-they make stuff like this?" Gray asked as he held up a pair of her underwear, rather a nearly transparent thong "Is this even..."

"Put it down!" She shrieked, reaching for the first thing she could find to throw, a large hard cover book. "G-Get out of my room! What are you even doing here?"

Erza, as the rest of the room's occupants couldn't hide the slight blush off her face. "We have a job to do."

"Well get out!" The blonde shirked.

Seeing the glare that twisted her features, one worthy Mirajane, Erza darted from the room, all but dragging the two boys, and Happy, with her. With a sigh, she made sure the door had been locked before turning to her closet.

"Those guys, seriously." She groaned and began sorting through masses of clothing. "Anyway, what should I wear today?"

After another five minutes of digging through her closet, she came across a short, strapless black dress that came to rest about mid thigh when worn. She pulled it from its hanger and continued looking for something else to wear over it; she came across a long sleeve denim jacket After finding nothing else to match, she reluctantly selected the jacket, not wanting to take three hours to chose her outfit, and grabbed a pair of black, lace up combat boots from the farthest corner. On her way out, she retrieved a black belt, her whip, and her keys from their place on her desk and opened her door slowly.

The four intruders were seated at her table, looking more bored that anything else. If Erza hadn't been there, the blonde was sure the boys would have gotten into more things she didn't want them in.

Apparently privacy and trespassing were two terms that neither of the three were familiar with.

"So what job did you pick this time?" She asked, seating herself at the table as well. Propping her elbows on the table, the blonde let her chin rest on her intertwined hands as she looked between her team members.

"Well," Erza replied, standing and stepping away form the table. Lucy noted that it was odd not seeing the mage clad in her usual armor, but since they returned from Ternoujima and after a conversation with Jellal, she began wearing her armor less and less, dressing as a normal woman her age would, in this case, a black skirt and a white tank top. Even her hair had been pulled off her face in a single pony tail. "We're going after a painting. It was stolen from a wealthy man in Halith."

Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde say Gray tense slightly, noticing the slight break in the steady rhythm he had created by tapping the tips of his fingers on the rough wooden surface. "How much was the reward? It didn't say on the flyer."

"How did you choose a job without knowing the price?" Lucy grumbled.

"I'm sure our client, Roscoe, will give us the necessary details once we reach Halith." The scarlet haired mage cut in. "For now, Lucy, gather the things you'll need and tie up whatever loose ends you have a the moment and meet us at the guild when you're done."

"I wanna stay!" Natsu whined, followed closely by Happy, however one look from Erza had the two running for the door.

Gray however, followed with less enthusiasm; his movements, the blonde noticed were stiff and his entire body was tense, as if something was haunting him. She was tempted to say anything, but as she opened her mouth to speak, he closed the door leading outside. With a heavy sigh, she pushed the thought from her mind and trudged to her room, seizing a black suitcase as she went. Her packing was simple, unlike Erza who brought an entire store along - the blonde threw in a few changes of clothes, some hygienic needs, and whatever else she decided she wanted at the last possible second.

After being packed and ready to go, the Celestial mage took a seat at her desk, grabbing a pen and a sheet of crisp white paper from one of the drawers.

_Mother,_

_It looks like I'm off on another job with Natsu and them. Its in Halith, but I'm not exactly sure where that is. I'm kind of worried about this though, Gray seemed to be acting pretty odd after Erza mentioned the location, almost like something was tormenting him. It seems as if I'm going to have to pull my own weight this time, if not more. I'm...worried about him. I've never actually seen him so upset, other than the one time with Deliora. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, but I've got to try my best._

_Love, forever and always - Lucy_

Humming contently, the blonde mage folded the paper neatly and slipped it into an envelope which she sealed and placed in a cubby hole filled with the unsent letters. For a moment, she felt a bit guilty for not including her father in it, after all, things were better between the two of them, even if he had passed away. Fighting to keep an onslaught of tears back, the mage pushed the thought from her mind and stood, stretching as she slipped her bag onto her shoulders. As she made her way through the apartment, she made and cleared a mental checklist. Locking the door she stepped into the slightly busy streets of Magnolia Town.

The warm, June sun shone down on the mage as she half skipped, half trotted to the guild, excitement bubbling in her stomach. Even if every job she took with Natsu ended up in a mess, often costing them the reward, she had to say that there was never a dull moment. After all, she had learned that no matter what kind of job it was, her life would be endangered in some way, shape, or form.

"Of on another job, Lu-chan?"

The blonde mage look up to see a mess of sky kissed hair bouncing lightly as Levy McGarden all but threw her petite body onto the Celestial mage in a tight hug. Her body, she noticed, had several scratches and a few bruises, but nothing too serious. Looking past the wavy locks, she saw Gajeel stalking forward, his hands stuffed into his pockets, bandages covered almost all of his upper body, a sight Lucy couldn't help but smirk at.

"Levy-chan, you seem to be spending quite a bit of time with Gajeel."

The bluenette blushed, pulling away from her friend as she sputtered her reply, "N-No its just th-that he needed help with a job a-and there were a lot of runes involved!"

The blonde simply shook her head. "Yes, Levy-chan. I'm going on a job with Gray and them. In fact, they're waiting for me right now."

"Tch, you spend too much time with the stripper." The Dragonslayer growled as the Celestial mage walked past, waving goodbye to the Solid Script mage.

"I," she smirked, "don't take solo missions with him. You even left Lily here!"

Gajeel grumbled something before storming off, all but dragging the bluenette behind him. Lucy waved once more before making the stretch of her walk.

It was the typical scene when she arrived; Natsu and Gray had gotten into a fight which Erza had settled - the two were currently hugging each other looking rather uncomfortable as Happy snicked off to the side. The scarlet haired mage was leaning against her wardrobe, arms crossed over her now armor clad chest.

"We ready to go? Its a long walk to Halith, so you better be prepared."

'We're walking?" Lucy asked, nearly tripping as she approached the mage.

"Of course." Erza replied. "The shortest way there does not have a road so we are forced to walk. Be prepared, we have a long journey ahead of us."

There was no room for argument, the Celestial mage would simply have to suck it up and walk. If it was necessary, she'd make one of the boys carry her.

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_**Author's Note: Not very many changes, it may be a bit longer and more detailed, but yeah. Reviews please?**_


	2. Cold Nights and Bright Stars

_**Author's Note: Chapter 2 of the rewrite, thanks to those who've reviewed so far. :'D**_

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_Chapter 2: Cold Nights and Bright Stars_

The sun began to set behind the small band of mages, painting the sky beautiful colors of red, orange, pink, purple, and blue. The air had gown exceptionally colder; tall mountains topped with snowy peaks rose above the rolling hills before them. The blonde mentally cursed herself for not thinking to bring anything other than the denim jacket she currently wore; she didn't have much of a clue where Halith was. It seemed as if she was the only one suffering, the term cold practically meant nothing to Natsu, who had every ounce of heat he could ever need. Due to the nature of his magic, Gray was completely oblivious to the near freezing temperatures, though oddly he hadn't so much as _tried _to peel his clothes off all day. Erza, with her entire wardrobe trailing behind her, had taken it upon herself to change when the mountains came into sight; she was wearing a long black fur coat, her scarlet hair was put up into a bun that was held into place by a black fur cap.

Something suddenly fell onto her shoulders - Gray's white coat. The hem of it reached just below her ankles, covering her entire frame. Pulling it close to her, she turned her gaze to the ice mage, curiosity swimming with in her chocolate orbs.

"You looked pretty cold." He shrugged, his voice unusually emotionless.

Lucy smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you, Gray."

His reply was nothing more than a shrug. The smile fell from her pretty face as she regarded the retreating figure of her comrade with concern. Since the mountains had come into view, he had been acting weird - speaking little and even ignoring Natsu when he attempted to pick a fight.

"Let's stop here for the night." Erza said as she dropped the rope.

"Finally!" Happy and Natsu exclaimed in unison as they toppled over, obviously tied from the long trek.

Lucy dropped her bag and sat down next to it, pulling Gray's jacket closer to her body. She let her mind wonder. Before she could stop the thoughts, she found her mind occupied by her parents, namely the father that had passed away a mere month before she returned. Fighting back tears, the blonde looked around the small camp. Natsu and Happy had already fallen asleep, the small Exceeds mumbles of fish barely reached her ears. Erza had become consumed in the task of shining her sword, or something of that nature; the Celestial mage wasn't sure. Her large brown eyes then turned away from the small, orange glow of the campfire and landed on the dark silhouette of the fifth member of their small group.

For a long moment, she sat in silence, debating on weather she should stay where she sat or at least try to speak with him. Deciding on the latter, the blonde pushed herself to her feet and slowly made her way to where he stood, keeping a reasonable distance. As she watched him, she began to wonder if bothering him was really a good idea; she began turning, but Gray's voice cut through the near silent air.

"What is it, Lucy?" He asked, his voice as shallow and nearly emotionless.

Not wasting her breath on useless chatter, the blonde asked the question that had been nagging at her for some hours now. "Are you alright?"

The ice mage looked at her out of the corner of his eyes as a heavy sigh escape his lips. "No."

Taking a step forward, the mage voiced another question. "What's wrong?"

Her voice was so soft, he wasn't even sure he heard her question. Turning slowly, he let his dark eyes lock with her chocolate ones. She stood between two large trees, their trunks gnarled with years of and abuse from harsh weather and wild creatures. In the distance, the large full moon rose, filling the dark sky with an eerie glow.

"It's just…we're only miles away from my home town. You know what happened there."

Lucy flinched. She remembered all too well the story Gray had told them on Garuna Island. About how Deliora had completely destroyed his home and his family. About how he was found by Ur and trained as an ice mage. She couldn't find any words of comfort. There was nothing to say in this situation. All she could say was, "I'm sorry."

Gray simply grunted in reply. "I've just been having flashbacks. I can't focus on anything at the moment."

"Wh-What were they like…you're parents I mean?" Lucy asked. Suddenly she cursed herself; she probably shouldn't have asked.

He shot her a sad smile. "They were amazing people. I've never loved anyone more in my life."

Her mind wondered to her own parents. Though she had loved her mother, her father had been a different story. Up until the day when she had defeated an entire guild to ensure he was safe, she had hated him. Then to come back after being in the Fairy Sphere for seven years to find he had died only a moth prior to her return was heartbreaking. When she'd gotten home, she'd found that her seven years of rent had been paid as well as she had been sent a birthday present.

If the news of his death hadn't completely torn her, that discovery ripped her heart to pieces.

"You should probably get some sleep. You look tired."

The Celestial mage opened her mouth to protest, but one glance form Gray and she found herself closing it. She had the feeling that all she was doing was bothering him. Without a word, the blonde turned and worked her way back to where she had dropped her bag, her hands gripping the jacket that covered her body tightly. Her eye lids were growing heavy as her thoughts began separating in incomprehensible clumps. As her breathing began slowly, her head began falling to the side as the dark embrace of slumber.

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**_Author's Note: Anddd review please?_**


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